


Santa Claus is Coming To Town

by ServantOfMischief



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Christmas, Family Dinner, Ichika is four, Ichika likes Uta, Ichika wants to protect Uta, Presents, Santa Claus - Freeform, Touka asks Uta for help, Uta adores Ichika, Uta obliges, Uta's first real Christmas, pinky promises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 08:05:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17138087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ServantOfMischief/pseuds/ServantOfMischief
Summary: Touka asks Uta for a favor, and he accepts, because it sounds kind of fun.





	Santa Claus is Coming To Town

Ichika is four, and Touka has come to request Uta to come over. He thinks it’s nice of her to ask, even if it’s not to invite him over to an actual Christmas celebration, but to have him do something for the sake of her daughter. Considering his part in the tragedy that happened years ago is no secret to her. Touka isn’t one to hold grudges, for too long anyway, but Uta kind of helped endanger her family, and attempted at killing and eating her uncle.

 

All in all, Uta thinks she’s dealing pretty well. He knows of others who’s sought to throttle him after a few minor stunts he’s pulled on them. Of course, he cannot just come over just to celebrate, that isn’t what she’s asking. She’s not inviting him over to celebrate with the rest of them, she’s asking him to come over and play the part of Santa Claus.

 

The reasoning for that is that Renji is always playing the role, and Ichika is upset that her uncle is always missing the jolly old man, and is already, at the young age of four years old, starting to put the pieces together. Uta thinks Ichika is clever, and like her father pulls down veils.

 

“So, I’m to play an old man so Renji-kun can avoid being found out?” He raises a brow, not really against the idea, but just clarifying it.

 

“You’re good at acting, aren’t you?” Touka shoots back with a smirk. She’s not attempting at insulting him nor hurting him, she’s merely stating a fact and he can’t exactly argue against her.

 

Because if the last few decades can serve as proof, he is good at acting.

 

“When do I have to be there?”

 

“Come around five.” She tells him, tossing the sack she’s brought with her at him before leaving the shop. Uta kind of wants to test the limits of how far he can try her patience but decides against it. Tonight might not be the best night to do it. So he practices instead, tries out the costume and how much filling he has to stuff around himself in the suit. It is pretty fun using his kagune to make a malleable mask over his face again. He can’t recall doing it after the Dragon-incident. And this, playing Santa Claus for someone, is something he’s never tried before or experienced himself for that matter, but he is familiar with the concept of how Santa is supposed to behave. In a way, it is a challenge, and Uta never shies away from a fun challenge.

 

He waits outside the Kaneki household, arriving just minutes before the clock strikes five. Touka soon pokes her head out the door and waves him over.

 

“You look good. You know what to do, right?” He nods as he enters the house and accepts the sack full of presents that she hands him. She nods, happy enough with his answer, and motions for him to follow deeper inside. He’s never been here, but Uta thinks it looks nice, and the Christmas decorations makes it seem really homey. He likes it. Perhaps he should have decorated his own shop and apartment, just to make it a bit cheery even though he doesn’t really celebrate Christmas with anyone. Touka calls out to her daughter, who’s even further inside.

 

“Guess who’s here, Ichika! It’s Santa!”

 

“Nu-huh! Renji’s here, so Santa can’t be here too!” He hears the little girl claim and the tattooed ghoul stifles a snicker at the bold words. Touka gives him a look and he strides into the living-room, warps his voice and bellows a laugh, like he’s seen the actors do in movies. He can see the girl sitting in Renji’s lap, how her eyes widen in excitement and partly confusion as she looks from Renji to Santa, back to Renji and then Santa again. Then she squeals so loud even Uta feels slightly startled at the high-pitched sound as she slips off her grand-uncle’s lap and runs towards him. He’s seen the girl only once before, and that is only a few short months after she was born, when Renji had been babysitting her for a few hours and Uta had stopped by.

 

One would have thought he’d meet her more often, considering he doesn’t live half-a-world away. Uta wonders if he’s been subconsciously keeping away from them all, just so he won’t risk losing Renji and their fights.

 

“Santa! You’re here!” He kneels down on the floor, dropping the sack with the presents onto the floor.

 

“Hello, Ichika-chan. Have you been a good girl this year?” She nods eagerly, nearly bouncing on her feet as she reaches up for him. He lifts her up, feels her tug on his beard and when it doesn’t budge, she buries her face in it, giggling as it tickles her. Kaneki brings up a chair for Uta to sit in, and he puts the girl in his lap, watching her tug and play with the beard for a while longer. It is endearing, really.

 

“I’ve been very good, just ask daddy!” She says and looks at Kaneki who just smiles and nods. The girl looks back up at Santa, who hums.

 

“Well, if you’ve really been good, as you say, then my bag should be filled with presents just for you. Shall we take a look?”

 

“Yes!” She squirms out of Uta’s hold and plops down onto the floor, racing over to the sack and he laughs as she struggles to pull it over to him. The disguised ghoul takes a seat by her on the floor and opens it, watching her nearly crawl and disappear into it in her eagerness. She climbs just as quickly back out, arms filled with nicely decorated and wrapped presents.

 

She tears the wrappings off of the presents, squealing with joy as she finds all that she had wished for to Christmas and more. It’s over rather quick and much to Uta’s surprise Ichika isn’t disappointed by that. Now that she’s unwrapped all of her presents, she wants to play with them. Uta figures that this means his time is up and he has to leave.

 

That catches the little girl’s attention and she wraps her arms around his legs and stares up at him with wide, watery eyes.

 

“Are you leaving, Santa?” She looks nearly heartbroken and Uta is for a moment unsure what to say or do, but comes up with a convenient excuse on the spot, which is also kind of true in Santa Claus’ case. He kneels down and tries to explain to the girl why he must leave now.

 

“I’d love to stay longer, Ichika-chan, but I have a lot more presents to give and a lot more children to visit before Christmas is over. But how about the two of us make a promise for next year, hm?”

 

“What?” She asks tearfully and he lays a hand on her head, ruffling her dual-coloured hair gently.

 

“Next year I’ll come to your house at the very end, you’ll be the last child on my list, and I’ll stay with you until Christmas is over. Does that sound okay to you?”

 

“Yes, I’d like that.” She says bravely and he smiles, eyes crinkling and beard moving as he laughs again, getting up.

 

“That’s a good girl.” He says as he collects the sack. “I’ll see _you_ next year. Merry Christmas.”

 

“Merry Christmas, Santa!” Ichika replies and waves as he leaves the living-room, and Touka follows him out, watching as he discretely removes the outfit outside the house, stuffing it into the now empty bag before he removes the kagune-mask.

 

“Thanks, Uta-san.” She smiles.

 

“No problem. It was kinda fun, actually.”

 

“You did well.”

 

“I’ve been told I’m a good actor.” He replies and she laughs.

 

“You promised her you’d spend all of Christmas with her next year.” The woman points out and Uta wonders if perhaps Touka feels like he overstepped some boundaries there.

 

“I’ll do it again if you’d let me.” He says and she shrugs.

 

“You promised her, so you have to.” He takes that as a sign that he hasn’t done anything wrong, and that she is okay with it.

 

“I’ll be back next year then.” He turns and starts to head towards home when Touka calls out again.

 

“Wait, Uta-san. Do you have any plans tonight?” He shakes his head no. He usually goes to Itori’s bar to spend some time with at least one person he knows, but he mostly keeps to himself on Christmas Eve. The female ghoul points her thumb over her shoulder then.

 

“Why don’t you stay over for dinner at least?”

 

“I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

 

“You’re not. I’m offering. Get your ass inside.” He complies, watching as Touka stuffs the sack onto a high shelf in a closet, where only she or Kaneki can reach it later before leading him back inside.

 

“Uta-san!” Kaneki exclaims, smiling widely. “I’m glad you could make it!” He’s ushered to the table, takes a seat beside Renji and Ichika is completely fascinated by the new person she’s never once met before. Uta is not exactly dressed for the occasion, but he soon forgets that, because the atmosphere is so nice and relaxing and friendly.

 

It occurs to him that he has never actually celebrated Christmas like most people do. He’s never had the opportunity, and how can wanted ghouls celebrate anyway, when Doves are on your trail and you’re never getting a moment of true peace? The food doesn’t taste terrible, even though the TSC’s artificial food has never once been good, it doesn’t taste as bad now.

 

 _‘Perhaps it is the company.’_ He thinks. He observes the banter, how they function as a family and he actually feels… lost. He doesn’t quite know how to act or what to say to contribute to the conversations floating around. He’s never had family, only friends. He doesn’t know what it’s like to celebrate with family. He only knows how to fight, kill, drink, craft masks., trick people.

 

What is he even doing here? This isn’t something suited for him. He doesn’t belong in a place like this.

 

“Uta-san?”

 

“Hm?” He looks up at the nearly alarming voice Kaneki uses, blinking.

 

“You’re crying.” Renji mutters, hand reaching up to wipe the few tears trailing down his face. Uta jerks back, hand reaching up to feel the wetness on his cheeks.

 

“Oh. Oops?”

 

“Are you sad, Uta-chan?” Ichika asks from her seat, worried, because no one should be sad on Christmas.

 

“Hm, no, I don’t think I’m sad.” Uta says as he hastily wipes the tears away. “Just a bit overwhelmed, I think. I’ve never celebrated Christmas like this before.” He’s never once thought it is sad that he hasn’t. he’s never once thought he’s missed out on something great, but sitting here now, he kind of feels like he’s missed out on a lot.

 

“You haven’t?” Ichika looks nearly scandalized and turns on her mother.

 

“Uta-chan has to celebrate with us next year too! He can’t be alone at Christmas!” Touka is shaking with mirth and Kaneki tries to calm their daughter down.

 

“Uta-san is welcome to come every year if he wants to.” And he means it. Perhaps that is what shocks Uta the most. Once dinner is over, Ichika drags Uta out to the living-room again and proceeds to show him all of the presents she got, and also kind of forces him to play with her. He doesn’t mind, it’s nice.

 

This is what humans and their families get every year. This is what most ghoul children and families never got to experience before the Dragon-incident.

 

“It’s too bad that you came so late, Uta-chan.” Ichika says and he looks up from the doll he’s holding, raising a brow.

 

“Why is that?”

 

“You missed Santa, and that is the most exciting thing about Christmas.” Ichika explains and he hums.

 

“Maybe I’ll be lucky next year, when I come over.”

 

“Yes! But then you have to come over _much_ earlier than you did today!”

 

“I will remember that.”

 

“Pinky promise me!” She demands, holding up her pinky finger and he wraps his around hers. Ichika is really small, and innocent and naïve, but clever. Very clever. He thinks back to how she had tugged on his beard, a clear sign that she had, for a moment, thought he was anyone but Santa Claus. And he isn’t Santa Claus, but she had tried to unmask him, only to start believing when the beard didn’t budge.

 

Uta finds that he likes Ichika.

 

And he can’t break a promise to someone he likes.

 

“I promise I will come much earlier next Christmas, and meet Santa Claus too.” 

**Author's Note:**

> This is not edited, so sorry for that. I literally wrote this in three hours... I hope you enjoyed it none-the-less


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